The JOYO 4 and the OctaSwitch seem to be the most colored. Thanks for making this video for the price and the sound of the JOYO 8Pro, it seems like the clear winner. MOEN sounded good, but to me only on the non-buffered.
My Joyo PXL Pro Pedal came in just before Christmas, wrapped it up and put it under the tree.... lol. Today I tested it out and it works great! No pops in my amp, silent! Very happy with my purchase. Thanks for all of your info Henning, you made it easy to program it from your video. Now just waiting for my Milos customized Gainiacs (Photos: Painfinger edition from his Facebook page)... Then I'll rock out on youtube with them once I get back from my little roadtrip, back on Dec 31 to make some vids on my other channel.
I've just subscribed to your channel, I commented on another one of your looper demos, but I just wanted to say thanks again for putting in the time and effort to make them.
What a video! Impressive work! I watched it to the end... and I really don't even need a looper ; ) Your explanations are just so hilariously entertaining and the comparison was very interesting!
I was searching for a video like this for days ! For me, the sound is the most important criteria. So thanks it helps a lot ! I think I'm gonna go on the GEC9 and I hope it will be transparent !
One of the things that set you apart from the other demo channels is you give you opinion. Please don't stop I miss it on this one. I got a super gainiac on your advice. Its now my favorite distortion pedal.
Thank you for that video. Very interesting stuff. I actually heard very very little difference between the loopers. If anything I heard the Moen a little bit more muffled than the other two. But like you said....this will mostly be used live where nobody really is gonna hear the subtle difference. Keep up the good work Henning.
Thank you very much for taking the time to do all these videos they are very enlightening and save me a lot of time to get to the point of what I need to do. Best of luck to you and again thank you
Wow, ich bin immer wieder beeindruckt welchen Aufwand Du für deine Videos betreibst. Ich schaue mir viele solcher Review-Videos an und muss sagen: "You are on top, Henning!" Fetten Respekt dafür!:-)
Hey there. Having used the Octa MK3 for 2 yrs now, how would you rate it? How does it color your sound, subtle, barely, a bit or a lot? I am looking for a colorless switcher only for my effects loop and not for both in front of the amp and in the efx loop. Thanks
Θανος Z it’s a great switcher, my only gripe with it is that it runs your loops in parallel not in series. I was finding that I was having trouble getting my typical washy delay tones to show up and after much research (it’s not in the manual) I found out it’s in parallel not series. Otherwise, a great switcher, especially if you’re swapping up what your chain is on the fly for songs and stuff
Your reviews are excellent. This one was very thorough and super super helpful. I went with the PXL8 Pro. Seems like the best bang for your buck. (arrives in a few days. Used 125 USD in mint condition). Love all of your videos. Very helpful and always entertaining. Thank you !!
They all seem to not have much tone loss but the clean into the Carl Martin seemed to lose low end. I was surprised by that given how much it is. Just goes to show joyo and moen can hold their own with high end stuff.
Really, really, really well done! I thought the Carl Martin was the best (in terms of closest to being directly plugged into the amp), but I am really glad I saw this video. I am researching this stuff for a band in Brazil (which is how I found you!), and I was leaning more towards the Moen stuff over Joyo Audio, but not I am definitely going with Moen...Probably will stay away from Jr. and go with the GEC9.
Thank You so much! I have JOYO PXL8 & Pro and CM Combinator and I was to get a CM Octa!!! :-( Octa sucked all the air out!! and Moens, in all form, colored the sound!!! so thanks to you I'm going to hug and kiss my PXL8 and put back in the roster with an apology! You worked hard for this test and I thank you for that!
Hey there, what do you mean that the Octa sucked out all the air out (tone wise)? Where you not happy with it? Im looking for a good switcher for my effects loop only. Thanks
... really a helpful and a wonderful video, thank you for all your effort and patience!... it's a joy to find your channel , be happy and blessed , always !... :)
Hi! Awesome to see your continued work to help your fellow musicians/pedal people to navigate the jungle that is loopers/switchers! =) One idea that I encountered on another comparison video, at that time for different amps, but that I think apply to all sound comparisons. Either pedals or switchers etc. And the approach is to record and riff section that you want to display on an actual sampler/looper. Like a Ditto or Boss RC-looper. And then play that loop through the different pedals/switchers. Then you eliminate all variations in playing style, attack and volume etc. To keep the comparison as clinical and "uncolored" as possible. Then you trule get a sound that you can compare under the same premises. I think its a genius approach. =)
Ok- 1st, thank you for such an extensive review. 2nd: I'm nervous.I'm typing this PRE-view. I did something potentially stupid and expensive; I've wanted a switcher so bad for so long but could not afford/justify the cost. The used ones go before they get on the shelf. So, was in Guitar Center immediately after someone had traded in a JOYO PXL8--- I instantly snapped it up without touching a plug. SOOOOOoooo I'm hoping you don't say it's shite, or I'll cry like a little school girl.
I couldn't hear much a difference at all (not that UA-cam clips actually produce the ABSOLUTE greatest sound) The videos were done exactly how I'd do them if I had a killer studio, time, and good sense of humor. :-) I'd like to see what YOU think man, as you were in the room with the amp, and playing the guitar. Did anyone stand out? More importantly, did anyone cause enough difference for you to not want to use them? THANK YOU for doing these vids man!
if there were differences, they were so small that they didn't matter... which ones has the better features really depends on what you want to do and what your habits are... it's all pros and cons...
I found the Carl Martin Octa-Switch to virtually have no effect on the signal.No coloration or unwanted audio artifacts. Also,why did you not include the GIgRig Pro 14 and or the GigRig G2 in the video?,...or are you planning to do so in the future? It would be very interesting to see the Carl Martin Octa-Switch and Carl Martin Combinator being compared to the GigRig Pro 14 and G2.These four Looper/Switchers are arguably the best the industry currently has to offer,...pure and simple. Thanks to you and Leslie for doing such great work with the reviews.
33AndAThirdRPM Well, thanks for the thanks !!! I would love to review and demo the GigRig stuff, but unless they send them to me, I can't do anything... I can't buy them to do advertising for them, so it is up to them to do it. I asked once, but that's it... I am not begging a company to work for them.
I like your videos, very informative and entertaining. You clearly put a lot of effort into them, admirable. Although you do sort of look and talk like a younger Colonel Klink. Maybe you should wear a monocle on your next video.
am definately going for the joyo pxl pro. dont need midi, and its got that very handy tuner out function. i better start saving my wonga... :) great job on all your videos my friend, its really nice to have a 'down to earth' review. well done young sir :)
Very good, entertaining, and whilst I am reluctant to trust UA-cam audio content through my below average speakers, however , me being nerdy enough to watch a lot of your videos I know the efforts gone into your recordings, the comparison is excellent, well done, I thought the octa switch was the clearest of the loopers, nothing between the rest imo , but I have crap speakers
EytschPi42 Really Excellent Job! Thank you so much. Sorry the bother, but I can't entry to these links. Please, could you to update this direction? Greettings from argentina.
Great review! JOYO 8pro👍BTW. In the comparisons like this (amps, effects, guitars etc...) will be good to have boss rc1 looper. All the guitar parts will be the same as well as dynamics and nuances of playing. But this is just a tip, your reviews are simply excelent! Thanks for posting this, make my choice easier!
I'm surprised that people say that they cannot hear any difference. I'm using a fireface 802 and DT880 pro at 1080p. All the Loopers have a loss of high end frequencies especially the Moen. The only ones I would consider buy are the PXL-Pro and GEC9 live, but are too big for my pedal board. Personally I was interested in the PXl-8 but the sound changes too much, I think I'm not going to buy one until I can try one by myself. Thanks for the video, you saved me some $$$ I'm also wondering: Did you strum in the same area of the strings? Otherwise the whole test is faulty.
Really digging the MOEN GEC8 and the JOYO PXL8 for the dirty stuff, with these, and in some cases with the clean/bypass modes, there was very small colouration, but it was a pleasant colouration, oddly enough that was the case more ofter in the unbuffered modes. Have you tried the RJM stuff yet, like the Amp/Mini Effect Gizmos?
Hey-Big Fan! The Octaswitch(& the $1250 Gig Rig Pro 14) use the mini-switches. Both manuals point out that any liquid spilled on them shorts them out. For something that sits on the floor that seems a MAJOR drawback. The Gig Rig is an awesome tool w/a lot of engineering to improve your sound & I don't think any other switcher comes close,just don't spill a beer on it.Same for the Martin. After your videos I'm going w/2 Joyos. Thanks Dude!!00JB
Late to this but oh well. To my ear, the GEC 8 Live, GEC 9 and the Lavender Joyo pedals coloured the signal the least and I could hear that beautiful top end from the Suhr amp ringing. Why the lavender Joyo and not the others? Must be the paint. Thanks for all the work that went into this video!
Just subscribed to your channel ! I was looking forward to one of this looper switcher for my pedalboard now i have a clearer vision of the whole thing ;)
I ran the same tests on a Joyo PXL8 and a Harley Benton FXL8 Pro earlier, running straight into logic (with amp sims). Running through the units with no loops engaged, the tone was not significantly different with either of the loopers vs coming straight out of the Ditto looper. However, when using an overdrive (OCD) and a phaser (phase 95) the Harley Benton had horrible tone suck. Lost a LOT of high end, and the level was much lower too. Tried a couple of pedals in a few different positions and found the same. Couldn’t hear any significant difference with the Joyo, so I’ll be keeping that one!
MIDI would be considered "more live" because it's usually preferred to create more elaborate switching-systems. Not just changing loops etc. but also changing programs on different devices, including rack-gear and so forth. And in studio-situations you tend to just take your time and change out sounds, unless of course you want to do one-take recordings or something.
K, POST-view: YES!!! I'm stoked! The PXL8, or PLX8 or whatever the FCUK it's called sounded GREAT- actually, didn't 'sound' at all to my ear, and I was REALLY straining to hear as I listened to them ALL: yes, I made it all the way to the end- again, great job, on a yeoman' work. To my ear, the PLX4 and surprisingly the Carl Martin had the most pronounced impact over neutral; but even THAT was barely, minimally, infantesmally (?!?) perceptible- and I heard it through a good rig and higher quality phones.
+Compulsor The differences are really very small and don't matter in a live situation at all. Studio is a different issue, but live you would NEVER be able to hear a difference and that is the truth.
I have a gigrig g2, brilliant switching system (demo it if you can) so I didn't really need to watch this. But for whatever reason I just like watching your videos
All kinda sound the same to my noob ears. But the unbuffered always seemed slightly better then the buffered tones. I think I'm going with a buzzelectronics looper anyways :)
Before you guys comment on your opinions, please use studio quality headphones in order to hear the difference between these loopers. I can definitely tell the difference.
Hey.....Bringing this video back from the dead. I just purchased a Moen GEC8....not Jr, and not Live, just a run of the mill GEC8. I can not find any information on this thing anywhere. I'd like to know....if you happen to know....does it have buffered input and output? The only reason I'm asking is to know whether I'll need to keep the current buffers I have, or if I can eliminate them from the board. Thanks in advance.....if you even see this...it has been a while
Cool. Some I didn't know were out there. I guess to make a it bit like a multi effects pedal I could use say 2 reverbs, 2 OD's set at different levels? Guess I need a couple of delays as well just to not have to tweek the settings on each pedal. Still it could be done. I'd have to mark everything to remember which is which but,,, very interesting stuff here. Thanks. Oh,, & such a well behaved dog too! Good Pup.
wow - amazing work - and love the room you are in - so in your opinion which one would you use if you were a pro regularly playing guitarist? also what about the Boss entries?
I made it to the end! I want my prize! lol Good shootout. I think my brain melted somewhere halfway through listening to them all.... First one was a bit mehhh... all the rest pretty good.
What is your opinion of the Swift Loopers, (made in England). They make a whole series of Loopers starting with a True Ten Bypass, single input; upward to a True Ten Bypass, 12 input Looper with Tuner Bypass and a Master Bypass. They even offer up to a 20 channel Looper which is custom made. I know of several pro guitarists who use the Swift brand of loopers. Also, what is your most efficient Looper Output, using only one Amplifier: A/B; Single Mono Output, Stereo Output, etc . . .
+Scott Gagel I haven't had the pleasure to try a SWIFT looper... I think I contacted them once but got no reply.... I can't beg a company to do advertising for them, so any company that doesn't respond doesn't get shown...
I'm mounting a pedalboard with 20 pedals. I need a handy and easy controller. I really enjoyed the Carl Martin MK3. Is this a good controller for my pedalboard?
Carl Martin suppose to be the best one, and it looks like it is on clean, but with loops activated I can hear the difference towards to darker sound ... not good. Probably I go for buzzelectronics as well.
Hello, amazing work, thank you so much for such informative videos ! I'd like to ask a few questions if you don't mind. If you use the harley benton fxl8 pro, or any switcher that has 8 loops, but have 10 pedals, can you connect 7 pedals to each loop and then connect 3 pedals to the same eighth loop ? Or, can you connect your first 8 pedals to 8 loops, then connect the fxl8 output to the rest of your pedals, which will then go to your amp ? That way the switcher will be in the middle of your signal chain and you'll use your last 2 pedals independently ?
Deniz Kahyaoglu the second one should work but I think because the pedals need to be independent for the looper to switch them on and off. I’d go with the second one to avoid that issue.
I use PXL8. i have terrible "click" when i play gigs coming from PA. How can i get rid of it without using a noise gate after the looper as if i put a noise gate in the end i loose in sustain and delay and all effects. Thanks in advance. You do great job!
Thanks for the video, they all sound the same though laptop speakers so it might mean one thing: in live situation it doesn't really matter which one oyu buy. You pay more money for the extra features not the sound quality. IMHO
Hello, i know you you have moved way beyond this product, but i need your brain to figure this out. I have a plx8 that i love. I just bought a boss noise supressor and cant figure out how in the world to incorporate that into my chain anywhere as plx8 has guitar input and out to guitar. Supressor has 4 input. In/out and send and return.I have an EVH lunchbox with efx loop.i would appreciate your thought on this matter.I think I've tried different connect options with no resolution.your help would be greatly appreciated. Don't know if missing something obvious. Thanks for your vids and response I know this long
Pal you're THEE go to guy on these matters so I have a brief question...is there a way to leave reverb and delay trails/spillover running if I switch between loops?FE If I assign preset 1 to a Strymon Big Sky long tail reverb can I switch to preset 2(without the strymon actively engaged)is there a way to leave the trails from loop 1 running?Sorry if that's an involved question.
+bootlegapples Yes, that it possible, but it depends on the looper.... I know the G-Lab GSC-4 can do it, the GIgRig G2 can do it... the Boss ES-8 can do it.... it is usually the higher priced ones that have that feature.
I just get the PXL 8 (the purple one). i am gonna use Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus power supply. Can i power it with 250 mA? As it is shown in the PXL 8's manual, it can be powered with 200-250 mA. But there is a note saying 300 mA on the pedal.
Just food for thought. When the pedals were played without the loopers the fx pedals were in series. When the pedals were connected to the loopers the fx pedals were in a parallel circuit. Parallel and series circuits sound different, this is because they have a different function.
chrisirwin34 I don't quite understand why this would be.... because ALL the loops are in series... or are we talking past each other and about different things.... I don't think those loops are parallel... all the loops are in series...
EytschPi42 Hi, thanks for your video, I did ear your audio file and split the file with logic pro, so I can ear in one track the guitar direct in the amp and in the other track the guitar with joyo pxl4. Well, I analyzed both tracks with a spectrum analyzer and the sample with joyo (clean) has more gain (about 10%), more bass around 200Hz, less middle around 800Hz and about same treble. My question is: are you shure during the test all the guitar control and amp control was the same? Maybe did you play to much close to the neck? It's very strange, if the looper loose some signal how it's possible that? Thank you very much.
naponostube Well... first of all... I did not use the same take... I PLAYED it every time... I should have recorded it into a looper and use the same performance every time... I thought of that later... Secondly... you are trying to hear WAAAAYYY to closely... if the difference is minimal or the looper even has more bass etc.... this is due to the playing.... then who cares? If it doesn't sound noticeably worse, then a looper is a good idea and those cheap ones are a good deal.... isn't it? The reality is: you use these live. You don't use them in the studio, in the studio you wire the pedals you need and that is it. LIVE... you are lucky if your guitar is being heard AT ALL.... if people can hear it, you are in a good position and a decent club, but the differences between looper A and looper B don't matter here AT ALL. A live show where you are miked and mixed in a way where sound matters is so high end and so expensive that your guitar tech will take care of what you need and use loopers that cost thousands. So, for the normal guitar player, the differences we are discussing here are completely irrelevant. Seeing these files through a spectrum analyzer can be fun, but it is overkill.... if it doesn't sound worse, these things do a great job to make you life easier. Just my opinion... I'd use any of these live... and I have....
+EytschPi42 I Agree with everything... I cant see anything the would make me not use any of these loopers.... I think that the choice is more about the Size, Functionally than the sound properly...
So one pedal has more volume, and louder always equals better in the human ear/brain... hmm... it is almost as if someone was interested in you buying the Joyo. I wonder who that could be. A real chin scratcher indeed.
Listening with AKG K-270. At clean/bypass some were ok to even pretty good (some were real bad). When loops were engaged? ALL had issues. most had less top end, some were a bit muddier/weirder in the mids/lows, some had less drive... and one even had more drive! I'm really underwhelmed. If some were good at bypass but had issues when engaged... than what's the point? :)
hey i was wondering if you would do a review of the G labs GSC 4 pedal looper if you ever get the chance?... i cant find any decent review online, and i cant get a hold of one without buying it here in denmark to test it out... i have a gmajor 2 from tc that i use in the loop so the midi capabilities are quite important to me... and i btw love your videos, great to se the level of profesionallism put in to them, but still with a lot of humor
thanks man, sadly, I cannot get my hands in g lab... I wrote them, but no response... and I am not going to buy one to do a review and advertising for a company that ignores me... they'll have to send me one...
Is-it possible to use a switch looper to connect 2 or more pedals in parallel ? Many switchers allow from 2 to 8 loops, like the Joyo PXL8 or this one fr.aliexpress.com/item/4000348833245.html?spm=a2g0o which allows 3 loops, but I am not sure that putting pedals in parallel work because I tried to do it with 2 pedals simply using cables and Vintage EHX 5X Junction Mixers but it doesn't work, sound is horrible probably because of connecting pedals outputs in parallel I think. So is this thing: www.thomann.de/fr/electro_harmonix_tri_parallel_mixer.htm the only one possible to use for parallel connections, because it is a mixer in fact... ? What do you think about it ?
You can put more than one on one loop. For example your can pit two delays with different settings and between two different söngs change one for another. Or have two OD's on one loop and stack them. That's no problem.
Hm, to my ears, going through those three pedals without any looper in between retained the most top end and transients. Just helped me make the decision to not buy a looper. ;)
I freaking love this guy's no BS delivery.
The JOYO 4 and the OctaSwitch seem to be the most colored. Thanks for making this video for the price and the sound of the JOYO 8Pro, it seems like the clear winner. MOEN sounded good, but to me only on the non-buffered.
My Joyo PXL Pro Pedal came in just before Christmas, wrapped it up and put it under the tree.... lol.
Today I tested it out and it works great! No pops in my amp, silent! Very happy with my purchase. Thanks for all of your info Henning, you made it easy to program it from your video.
Now just waiting for my Milos customized Gainiacs (Photos: Painfinger edition from his Facebook page)... Then I'll rock out on youtube with them once I get back from my little roadtrip, back on Dec 31 to make some vids on my other channel.
Outstanding work, I truly appreciate the hard work. Makes my purchase easier.
Patrick Landfair Thank you... I hope you subscribed !
What did you purchase and why?
I've just subscribed to your channel, I commented on another one of your looper demos, but I just wanted to say thanks again for putting in the time and effort to make them.
Bellyflip Thanks man!
Love your videos. You leave no stone un-turned, always filled with great details.
7 years later, an update is long overdue! Get on with it, Henning! 🙏👍
What a video! Impressive work!
I watched it to the end... and I really don't even need a looper ; )
Your explanations are just so hilariously entertaining and the comparison was very interesting!
Thanks... I ALWAYS Wonder who The Crazy people are who actually watch these videos to the end and NOW I have my answer... you!
EytschPi42
Yep, 'twas me!
I was searching for a video like this for days ! For me, the sound is the most important criteria. So thanks it helps a lot ! I think I'm gonna go on the GEC9 and I hope it will be transparent !
One of the things that set you apart from the other demo channels is you give you opinion. Please don't stop I miss it on this one. I got a super gainiac on your advice. Its now my favorite distortion pedal.
Thank you for that video. Very interesting stuff. I actually heard very very little difference between the loopers. If anything I heard the Moen a little bit more muffled than the other two. But like you said....this will mostly be used live where nobody really is gonna hear the subtle difference. Keep up the good work Henning.
thanks!
Thank you very much for taking the time to do all these videos they are very enlightening and save me a lot of time to get to the point of what I need to do.
Best of luck to you and again thank you
Thanks Rich, glad to be of service...
Wow, ich bin immer wieder beeindruckt welchen Aufwand Du für deine Videos betreibst. Ich schaue mir viele solcher Review-Videos an und muss sagen: "You are on top, Henning!" Fetten Respekt dafür!:-)
Geil.... danke danke, das hört man doch Sehr Sehr gerne!
To my ears the wave pxl 8 was the most transparent. Cal Martin octo in buffered mode was a close second. Great vid. Nice shootout.
You just made me buy a Carl Martin Octa-Switch MK3 and I am now broke :'( Hope wifey doesn't find out.
Some Band I'm right there with you brother
Hey there. Having used the Octa MK3 for 2 yrs now, how would you rate it? How does it color your sound, subtle, barely, a bit or a lot? I am looking for a colorless switcher only for my effects loop and not for both in front of the amp and in the efx loop. Thanks
Θανος Z it’s a great switcher, my only gripe with it is that it runs your loops in parallel not in series. I was finding that I was having trouble getting my typical washy delay tones to show up and after much research (it’s not in the manual) I found out it’s in parallel not series. Otherwise, a great switcher, especially if you’re swapping up what your chain is on the fly for songs and stuff
Sounded best without any looper. Thanks, I'll save my money :)
Try hard not to be so negative..he is doing a great job..
Your reviews are excellent. This one was very thorough and super super helpful. I went with the PXL8 Pro. Seems like the best bang for your buck. (arrives in a few days. Used 125 USD in mint condition). Love all of your videos. Very helpful and always entertaining. Thank you !!
They all seem to not have much tone loss but the clean into the Carl Martin seemed to lose low end. I was surprised by that given how much it is. Just goes to show joyo and moen can hold their own with high end stuff.
my thoughts exactly !
Cheers from across the pond. Was in Heidelberg for a while. Deutschland takes guitar serious and your reviews are awesome. keep up the good work!
Parabola 801 Thank you... I am trying to keep that level... loads of work though...
Really, really, really well done! I thought the Carl Martin was the best (in terms of closest to being directly plugged into the amp), but I am really glad I saw this video. I am researching this stuff for a band in Brazil (which is how I found you!), and I was leaning more towards the Moen stuff over Joyo Audio, but not I am definitely going with Moen...Probably will stay away from Jr. and go with the GEC9.
You are a man to be admired for your dedication and excellent research, Thank you!
Thank You so much! I have JOYO PXL8 & Pro and CM Combinator and I was to get a CM Octa!!! :-(
Octa sucked all the air out!! and Moens, in all form, colored the sound!!! so thanks to you I'm going to hug and kiss my PXL8 and put back in the roster with an apology! You worked hard for this test and I thank you for that!
Hey there, what do you mean that the Octa sucked out all the air out (tone wise)? Where you not happy with it? Im looking for a good switcher for my effects loop only. Thanks
... really a helpful and a wonderful video, thank you for all your effort and patience!... it's a joy to find your channel , be happy and blessed , always !... :)
I think the more expensive ones process the tone.
The Joyo's seem more direct.
I can clearly hear the Carl Martin changing the tone.
sure? I zap on video part from clean/fx one to octaswitch one, and i can't hear the differenca
You. I like you. Have an upvote.
Hi! Awesome to see your continued work to help your fellow musicians/pedal people to navigate the jungle that is loopers/switchers! =)
One idea that I encountered on another comparison video, at that time for different amps, but that I think apply to all sound comparisons. Either pedals or switchers etc. And the approach is to record and riff section that you want to display on an actual sampler/looper. Like a Ditto or Boss RC-looper. And then play that loop through the different pedals/switchers. Then you eliminate all variations in playing style, attack and volume etc. To keep the comparison as clinical and "uncolored" as possible. Then you trule get a sound that you can compare under the same premises. I think its a genius approach. =)
Yes, I really should have done that.... great idea !
Thanks for the vid & the info.... the dog is the best part!
Ok- 1st, thank you for such an extensive review.
2nd: I'm nervous.I'm typing this PRE-view. I did something potentially stupid and expensive; I've wanted a switcher so bad for so long but could not afford/justify the cost. The used ones go before they get on the shelf. So, was in Guitar Center immediately after someone had traded in a JOYO PXL8--- I instantly snapped it up without touching a plug. SOOOOOoooo I'm hoping you don't say it's shite, or I'll cry like a little school girl.
How do you like it
I think it'll be the Moen GEC8 Jr. for me. Really helpful video
Bought joyo pxl live(harley benton), thank you for your outstanding work.
I couldn't hear much a difference at all (not that UA-cam clips actually produce the ABSOLUTE greatest sound) The videos were done exactly how I'd do them if I had a killer studio, time, and good sense of humor. :-)
I'd like to see what YOU think man, as you were in the room with the amp, and playing the guitar. Did anyone stand out? More importantly, did anyone cause enough difference for you to not want to use them?
THANK YOU for doing these vids man!
if there were differences, they were so small that they didn't matter... which ones has the better features really depends on what you want to do and what your habits are... it's all pros and cons...
I found the Carl Martin Octa-Switch to virtually have no effect on the signal.No coloration or unwanted audio artifacts.
Also,why did you not include the GIgRig Pro 14 and or the GigRig G2 in the video?,...or are you planning to do so in the future?
It would be very interesting to see the Carl Martin Octa-Switch and Carl Martin Combinator being compared to the GigRig Pro 14 and G2.These four Looper/Switchers are arguably the best the industry currently has to offer,...pure and simple.
Thanks to you and Leslie for doing such great work with the reviews.
33AndAThirdRPM Well, thanks for the thanks !!!
I would love to review and demo the GigRig stuff, but unless they send them to me, I can't do anything... I can't buy them to do advertising for them, so it is up to them to do it. I asked once, but that's it... I am not begging a company to work for them.
What a great music room
Great demo, thanks man
I like your videos, very informative and entertaining. You clearly put a lot of effort into them, admirable. Although you do sort of look and talk like a younger Colonel Klink. Maybe you should wear a monocle on your next video.
Hmmm.... let me think about that !
am definately going for the joyo pxl pro. dont need midi, and its got that very handy tuner out function. i better start saving my wonga... :) great job on all your videos my friend, its really nice to have a 'down to earth' review. well done young sir :)
You nailed it!
Love your presentations... Very informative, and funny!! Truce!!
Very good, entertaining, and whilst I am reluctant to trust UA-cam audio content through my below average speakers, however , me being nerdy enough to watch a lot of your videos I know the efforts gone into your recordings, the comparison is excellent, well done,
I thought the octa switch was the clearest of the loopers, nothing between the rest imo , but I have crap speakers
There is a link to the audio file below the video if you want to listen on a different system !
EytschPi42 Really Excellent Job! Thank you so much. Sorry the bother, but I can't entry to these links. Please, could you to update this direction? Greettings from argentina.
Great review! JOYO 8pro👍BTW. In the comparisons like this (amps, effects, guitars etc...) will be good to have boss rc1 looper. All the guitar parts will be the same as well as dynamics and nuances of playing.
But this is just a tip, your reviews are simply excelent!
Thanks for posting this, make my choice easier!
I'm surprised that people say that they cannot hear any difference. I'm using a fireface 802 and DT880 pro at 1080p. All the Loopers have a loss of high end frequencies especially the Moen. The only ones I would consider buy are the PXL-Pro and GEC9 live, but are too big for my pedal board. Personally I was interested in the PXl-8 but the sound changes too much, I think I'm not going to buy one until I can try one by myself. Thanks for the video, you saved me some $$$ I'm also wondering: Did you strum in the same area of the strings? Otherwise the whole test is faulty.
Thanks for this video!!! I'm glad I got the Carl Martin!!!
Really digging the MOEN GEC8 and the JOYO PXL8 for the dirty stuff, with these, and in some cases with the clean/bypass modes, there was very small colouration, but it was a pleasant colouration, oddly enough that was the case more ofter in the unbuffered modes. Have you tried the RJM stuff yet, like the Amp/Mini Effect Gizmos?
Great video I was about to buy the wrong one but you saved me again!
Hey-Big Fan! The Octaswitch(& the $1250 Gig Rig Pro 14) use the mini-switches. Both manuals point out that any liquid spilled on them shorts them out. For something that sits on the floor that seems a MAJOR drawback. The Gig Rig is an awesome tool w/a lot of engineering to improve your sound & I don't think any other switcher comes close,just don't spill a beer on it.Same for the Martin. After your videos I'm going w/2 Joyos. Thanks Dude!!00JB
Forgot to say I already have 1 & ,thanks to your instruction video, it's great. I just got more pedals.--JB
Excelent work! Thanks a lot!
Would have lied to see some "Gigrig" stuff added to this .
Late to this but oh well. To my ear, the GEC 8 Live, GEC 9 and the Lavender Joyo pedals coloured the signal the least and I could hear that beautiful top end from the Suhr amp ringing. Why the lavender Joyo and not the others? Must be the paint. Thanks for all the work that went into this video!
So many loopers! Hard to choose from . Carl Martin maybe
Just subscribed to your channel ! I was looking forward to one of this looper switcher for my pedalboard now i have a clearer vision of the whole thing ;)
Vichingo Folk Thanks !
I ran the same tests on a Joyo PXL8 and a Harley Benton FXL8 Pro earlier, running straight into logic (with amp sims).
Running through the units with no loops engaged, the tone was not significantly different with either of the loopers vs coming straight out of the Ditto looper.
However, when using an overdrive (OCD) and a phaser (phase 95) the Harley Benton had horrible tone suck. Lost a LOT of high end, and the level was much lower too. Tried a couple of pedals in a few different positions and found the same.
Couldn’t hear any significant difference with the Joyo, so I’ll be keeping that one!
pxl-pro/pxl-live was the most identical/transparent to me but I don’t have a great sound system right now.
MIDI would be considered "more live" because it's usually preferred to create more elaborate switching-systems.
Not just changing loops etc. but also changing programs on different devices, including rack-gear and so forth.
And in studio-situations you tend to just take your time and change out sounds, unless of course you want to do one-take recordings or something.
K, POST-view: YES!!! I'm stoked! The PXL8, or PLX8 or whatever the FCUK it's called sounded GREAT- actually, didn't 'sound' at all to my ear, and I was REALLY straining to hear as I listened to them ALL: yes, I made it all the way to the end- again, great job, on a yeoman' work. To my ear, the PLX4 and surprisingly the Carl Martin had the most pronounced impact over neutral; but even THAT was barely, minimally, infantesmally (?!?) perceptible- and I heard it through a good rig and higher quality phones.
+Compulsor The differences are really very small and don't matter in a live situation at all. Studio is a different issue, but live you would NEVER be able to hear a difference and that is the truth.
I was torn on which controller but I think you sold me on the PXL8 Ordering one of those and a D Seed for my new board.
I have a gigrig g2, brilliant switching system (demo it if you can) so I didn't really need to watch this. But for whatever reason I just like watching your videos
carl martin, have debating on buying, but this vid made up my mind
All kinda sound the same to my noob ears. But the unbuffered always seemed slightly better then the buffered tones. I think I'm going with a buzzelectronics looper anyways :)
Before you guys comment on your opinions, please use studio quality headphones in order to hear the difference between these loopers. I can definitely tell the difference.
Thank you so much for doing this video!!
Hey.....Bringing this video back from the dead. I just purchased a Moen GEC8....not Jr, and not Live, just a run of the mill GEC8. I can not find any information on this thing anywhere. I'd like to know....if you happen to know....does it have buffered input and output? The only reason I'm asking is to know whether I'll need to keep the current buffers I have, or if I can eliminate them from the board.
Thanks in advance.....if you even see this...it has been a while
I think it might have a buffered and an unbuffered input
there's no difffference, thank's Dave!
nice testing..helps a lot in comparing what switcher works best for your tone/s..
Cool. Some I didn't know were out there. I guess to make a it bit like a multi effects pedal I could use say 2 reverbs, 2 OD's set at different levels? Guess I need a couple of delays as well just to not have to tweek the settings on each pedal. Still it could be done. I'd have to mark everything to remember which is which but,,, very interesting stuff here. Thanks. Oh,, & such a well behaved dog too! Good Pup.
They all seem to warm things up in varying degrees. They all sound good. I'd go by features per $.
The Joyo PXL PRO and Moen GEC8 Jr seem to be the best :)
Other looper seems to steal some crunch from the sound
wow - amazing work - and love the room you are in - so in your opinion which one would you use if you were a pro regularly playing guitarist? also what about the Boss entries?
I would use the Boss ES8
that is the one I was leaning to but was look for a less expensive alternative. appreciate it :)
Thanks for that, I was thinking on getting the Joyo, but liked the moen better, I think all of them suck a bit of brightness.
I made it to the end! I want my prize! lol Good shootout. I think my brain melted somewhere halfway through listening to them all.... First one was a bit mehhh... all the rest pretty good.
awesome video!!
What is your opinion of the Swift Loopers, (made in England). They make a whole series of Loopers starting with a True Ten Bypass, single input; upward to a True Ten Bypass, 12 input Looper with Tuner Bypass and a Master Bypass. They even offer up to a 20 channel Looper which is custom made. I know of several pro guitarists who use the Swift brand of loopers. Also, what is your most efficient Looper Output, using only one Amplifier: A/B; Single Mono Output, Stereo Output, etc . . .
+Scott Gagel I haven't had the pleasure to try a SWIFT looper... I think I contacted them once but got no reply.... I can't beg a company to do advertising for them, so any company that doesn't respond doesn't get shown...
I'm mounting a pedalboard with 20 pedals. I need a handy and easy controller. I really enjoyed the Carl Martin MK3. Is this a good controller for my pedalboard?
Carl Martin suppose to be the best one, and it looks like it is on clean, but with loops activated I can hear the difference towards to darker sound ... not good. Probably I go for buzzelectronics as well.
Hello, amazing work, thank you so much for such informative videos ! I'd like to ask a few questions if you don't mind.
If you use the harley benton fxl8 pro, or any switcher that has 8 loops, but have 10 pedals, can you connect 7 pedals to each loop and then connect 3 pedals to the same eighth loop ? Or, can you connect your first 8 pedals to 8 loops, then connect the fxl8 output to the rest of your pedals, which will then go to your amp ? That way the switcher will be in the middle of your signal chain and you'll use your last 2 pedals independently ?
Deniz Kahyaoglu the second one should work but I think because the pedals need to be independent for the looper to switch them on and off. I’d go with the second one to avoid that issue.
@@brodiechallinor218 thank you ! I actually got the pedal and that's what I'm doing now 😊
the carl M seemed to lose a bit in very the bottom and top but I also felt it had the best midrange of any of them....the middle seemed more forward.
I use PXL8. i have terrible "click" when i play gigs coming from PA. How can i get rid of it without using a noise gate after the looper as if i put a noise gate in the end i loose in sustain and delay and all effects. Thanks in advance. You do great job!
Great! thank you very much!
Just a word of advice. Never Ever Ever Ever make mouth noises in videos....it makes people want to loose their minds. Including me.
Thanks for the video, they all sound the same though laptop speakers so it might mean one thing: in live situation it doesn't really matter which one oyu buy. You pay more money for the extra features not the sound quality. IMHO
Hard to tell the moen Dec was thin sounding Carl sounded filtered
Hello, i know you you have moved way beyond this product, but i need your brain to figure this out. I have a plx8 that i love. I just bought a boss noise supressor and cant figure out how in the world to incorporate that into my chain anywhere as plx8 has guitar input and out to guitar. Supressor has 4 input. In/out and send and return.I have an EVH lunchbox with efx loop.i would appreciate your thought on this matter.I think I've tried different connect options with no resolution.your help would be greatly appreciated. Don't know if missing something obvious. Thanks for your vids and response I know this long
Goood. Thanks.
PXL-LIVE wins! I'm really surprised it sounded better than the pro.
Agree. And, as in my ears, better than others, which really surprised me, especially when I have MK in my Amazon Shopping Card )))
Pal you're THEE go to guy on these matters so I have a brief question...is there a way to leave reverb and delay trails/spillover running if I switch between loops?FE If I assign preset 1 to a Strymon Big Sky long tail reverb can I switch to preset 2(without the strymon actively engaged)is there a way to leave the trails from loop 1 running?Sorry if that's an involved question.
+bootlegapples Yes, that it possible, but it depends on the looper.... I know the G-Lab GSC-4 can do it, the GIgRig G2 can do it... the Boss ES-8 can do it.... it is usually the higher priced ones that have that feature.
place it in the last send of the looper but DON'T back return on! Put it to another input of your amp.
It can save a lot of $$$ !
I just get the PXL 8 (the purple one). i am gonna use Voodoo Lab Pedal Power 2 Plus power supply. Can i power it with 250 mA? As it is shown in the PXL 8's manual, it can be powered with 200-250 mA. But there is a note saying 300 mA on the pedal.
Just food for thought. When the pedals were played without the loopers the fx pedals were in series. When the pedals were connected to the loopers the fx pedals were in a parallel circuit. Parallel and series circuits sound different, this is because they have a different function.
chrisirwin34 I don't quite understand why this would be.... because ALL the loops are in series... or are we talking past each other and about different things.... I don't think those loops are parallel... all the loops are in series...
EytschPi42 Hi,
thanks for your video, I did ear your audio file and split the file with logic pro, so I can ear in one track the guitar direct in the amp and in the other track the guitar with joyo pxl4. Well, I analyzed both tracks with a spectrum analyzer and the sample with joyo (clean) has more gain (about 10%), more bass around 200Hz, less middle around 800Hz and about same treble. My question is: are you shure during the test all the guitar control and amp control was the same? Maybe did you play to much close to the neck? It's very strange, if the looper loose some signal how it's possible that? Thank you very much.
naponostube Well... first of all... I did not use the same take... I PLAYED it every time... I should have recorded it into a looper and use the same performance every time... I thought of that later...
Secondly... you are trying to hear WAAAAYYY to closely... if the difference is minimal or the looper even has more bass etc.... this is due to the playing.... then who cares? If it doesn't sound noticeably worse, then a looper is a good idea and those cheap ones are a good deal.... isn't it?
The reality is: you use these live. You don't use them in the studio, in the studio you wire the pedals you need and that is it. LIVE... you are lucky if your guitar is being heard AT ALL.... if people can hear it, you are in a good position and a decent club, but the differences between looper A and looper B don't matter here AT ALL.
A live show where you are miked and mixed in a way where sound matters is so high end and so expensive that your guitar tech will take care of what you need and use loopers that cost thousands.
So, for the normal guitar player, the differences we are discussing here are completely irrelevant. Seeing these files through a spectrum analyzer can be fun, but it is overkill.... if it doesn't sound worse, these things do a great job to make you life easier.
Just my opinion... I'd use any of these live... and I have....
+EytschPi42 I Agree with everything... I cant see anything the would make me not use any of these loopers.... I think that the choice is more about the Size, Functionally than the sound properly...
So one pedal has more volume, and louder always equals better in the human ear/brain... hmm... it is almost as if someone was interested in you buying the Joyo. I wonder who that could be. A real chin scratcher indeed.
Listening with AKG K-270.
At clean/bypass some were ok to even pretty good (some were real bad).
When loops were engaged? ALL had issues. most had less top end, some were a bit muddier/weirder in the mids/lows, some had less drive... and one even had more drive!
I'm really underwhelmed.
If some were good at bypass but had issues when engaged... than what's the point? :)
Your not showing the switching of the pedals? I heard that the Joyo has popping issues.
+James Getman It can have issues, but that depends on the pedals.
hey i was wondering if you would do a review of the G labs GSC 4 pedal looper if you ever get the chance?... i cant find any decent review online, and i cant get a hold of one without buying it here in denmark to test it out... i have a gmajor 2 from tc that i use in the loop so the midi capabilities are quite important to me... and i btw love your videos, great to se the level of profesionallism put in to them, but still with a lot of humor
thanks man, sadly, I cannot get my hands in g lab... I wrote them, but no response... and I am not going to buy one to do a review and advertising for a company that ignores me... they'll have to send me one...
EytschPi42 Ah thats a shame, but totally understandable :)
Is-it possible to use a switch looper to connect 2 or more pedals in parallel ? Many switchers allow from 2 to 8 loops, like the Joyo PXL8 or this one fr.aliexpress.com/item/4000348833245.html?spm=a2g0o which allows 3 loops, but I am not sure that putting pedals in parallel work because I tried to do it with 2 pedals simply using cables and Vintage EHX 5X Junction Mixers but it doesn't work, sound is horrible probably because of connecting pedals outputs in parallel I think. So is this thing: www.thomann.de/fr/electro_harmonix_tri_parallel_mixer.htm the only one possible to use for parallel connections, because it is a mixer in fact... ? What do you think about it ?
You can put more than one on one loop. For example your can pit two delays with different settings and between two different söngs change one for another. Or have two OD's on one loop and stack them. That's no problem.
hi, u don't know if i can use an joyo (4 outs) as an ext pedal for boss rc 300 or for roland gr 20? cheers
Hello, do you know of a loop switcher that also changes the channel on the amp?
Hi how can I use both od and distortion on the plexitube tonebone with either pxl live or pxl 8. Thanks your videos. God bless 🙏
Hm, to my ears, going through those three pedals without any looper in between retained the most top end and transients. Just helped me make the decision to not buy a looper. ;)
They don't make the LONG carl martin looper anymore! Dam!
So what is the corect answer?
"IT WAS THE POSTMAN WHO FORGOT SHIT"
Sounds better clean through the PXL4 to amp than directly to the amp. Gosh. Using the Loopers always sounded better to me. 67 year old ears. duh!
Which would work best for a 6505+?
Ist es möglich Stereo Effekte zu nutzen?
Bei denen nicht, aber bei anderen schon
@@EytschPi42 Danke für die Antwort. Kannst du mir da welche empfehlen?
couldn´t you please do the same with ES-8, G2, and PBC10....??? ;-)